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‘Bonkers’ Van Gaal defends Rashford decision

Date published: Saturday 7th May 2016 4:20

Louis van Gaal has no regrets about his decision to rest Daley Blind and Marcus Rashford after Manchester United’s 1-0 win over Norwich.

United were awful at Carrow Road – prompting us to ask whether Champions League football was really worth another year of tedium under Van Gaal – with Wayne Rooney up front after Rashford was rested and Anthony Martial was injured in the warm-up.

“I stick with my decision and they needed rest, you see the players, they also need rest but I cannot give everybody rest so that’s the problem,” the Dutchman told BT Sport.

“We have to see the reaction (to the injuries) tomorrow. Darmian got kicked in the ankle and Martial felt something during the warm-up.”

Ahead of the game, BT Sport pundits Paul Scholes and Chris Sutton were baffled by his decision to rest Rashford, not even putting the striker on the bench.

“Maybe it’s just that he’s not interested in scoring goals. I think he judges a performance on possession,” said Scholes.

Sutton went further, saying: “I don’t understand it at all if you need to nick a goal in the last 15 minutes. Louis van Gaal is bonkers not picking him.

“You’ve got to have a striker on the bench to nick a goal. I can understand Blind but Rashford – mad.”